Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageLos Angeles Plays Itself (2003)
Director: Thom Andersen
Movie review
From Time Out London
A treat for both film fans and Los Angeles-ologists, Thom Andersen’s compendious polemic on the various inflictions and infractions that Hollywood (the motion-picture industry) has visited upon its host city posits itself as ‘a city symphony in reverse’ – a collage of documentary insights trawled from the world of features. Andersen’s beady sweep spans Laurel and Hardy and Maya Deren, ‘Chinatown’ and ‘Blade Runner’, ‘Death Wish 4’ and the 1958 Native American drama ‘The Exiles’ – over 200 films are quoted in all, offering both illustration and refuge when Andersen’s orneriness threatens to overwhelm his crisp perspicuity. (The style recalls his fellow Angelino Mike Davis’s literary excavations of the city.) ‘The architectural trophy-house is the modern equivalent of the black hat or the moustache,’ he observers of Hollywood’s ‘war against modern architecture’; and of the movies’ appetite for destruction: ‘Whenever the legitimacy of authority is questioned, Hollywood responds by coming up with disaster movies’ – a reminder of how foolish and pathetic we are. Fascinating.Author: NB
Time Out London Issue 1784: October 27-November 03, 2004
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Hippies who work for The Man
To celebrate George Clooney comedy 'The Men who Stare at Goats', we look back at six memorable onscreen hippies who fought the system from within
Roland Emmerich's guide to disaster movies
Ahead of the release of '2012', Roland Emmerich offers his ten tips on creating the perfect global catastrophe
Grant Heslov: interview
Grant Heslov, director of 'The Men who Stare at Goats' talks about his old pal George Clooney, his interest in the paranormal, and his fond memories of working on 'Happy Days'
The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'
Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’
Ten inspirations behind 'Avatar'?
Time Out ponders the influences behind James Cameron's anticipated space-opera on the basis of the trailer
Michael Jackson's This Is It: review
Kenny Ortega's posthumous concert film is a rousing eulogy for one of pop's great enigmas
Michael Haneke: The man behind the menace
From Cannes to Munich to London, Dave Calhoun tours Michael Haneke's Palme d'Or winner, 'The White Ribbon'
Lone Scherfig talks 'An Education'
Danish director Lone Scherfig was an unlikely choice for a very English affair like 'An Education'. Cath Clarke meets her
How Jane Campion brought John Keats back to life
Time Out gets Romantic with the ‘difficult’ New Zealander about her new film, 'Bright Star'
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations
What do you think?
Post your review now